Kurt Warner, YOU Are Freaking Killing Me

Warner puts a wet blanket on the Eli Manning Hall of Fame talk.

Whenever someone hands you lemons in life, you're supposed to make lemonade, as the saying goes. Well, I guess current NFL Network Analyst and former SuperBowl winning QB Kurt Warner is thinking Giants stud Eli Manning is needing a drink after he dished him some big lemons on a radio interview Tuesday he gave to Arizona Sports 620-AM in Phoenix.

In the interview, Warner was asked if the two time SuperBowl and SuperBowl winning Eli Manning, who coincidentally also has the most road wins in the playoffs of all time with 5, has done enough to merit a Hall of Fame slot as of today. He responded, quite fervently, that the younger Manning is in no way a lock for the HOF.

"I fully disagree with that," Warner said. "You know, because I know we put a lot of weight on championships, and rightfully so. But championships are won as a team, and I’m fully convinced of that. You never see one guy — a great player, great quarterback — carry a team through the playoffs and into a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl that way. I’ve never seen it. You know, even in that game (Super Bowl XLVI), it’s 21-17. That’s the game. There wasn’t a quarterback just up and down the field carrying the team. Yeah, he made the plays down the stretch — no question about it. He’s had two great playoff runs — or his team has had two great playoff runs. But I also look at the rest of his career.

"I mean, he has an 82 quarterback rating throughout his career," Warner continues. "You know, he’s had five of his eight seasons where he has thrown 16 interceptions or more. His completion percentage on his career is 58 percent. To me, those aren’t Hall of Fame numbers, and by that, I mean every time you step on the field you’re a game changer, you’re a difference maker. And I don’t believe Eli Manning has been that guy until this year. … “

Wow, can someone say sour grapes much here?

I have all the respect in the world for Kurt Warner and his own personal accomplishments, the guy went from bagging groceries into being in three SuperBowls, but he clearly is trying to sound too much like an analyst and is coming off as even being a tad envious.

Is it Eli's fault Warner couldn't beat Tom Brady in a Super Bowl? No. Is it his fault he couldn't lead his underdog NFC Arizona Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Steelers in his other SuperBowl? No

No, what this obviously comes down to is a guy who feels a small amount of resentment for another guys accolades when he feels he is by far the better QB of the two. Jealousy rears it's head in many a way and for this one time, it came out in a radio interview from a man I never would have thought possible of publicly expressing it.

To his credit though, Warner did throw Eli this small nugget of hope.

"Now, if he plays the same way he played this year, the rest of his career, and you give him five more years, and then add the two championships, then I think we have reason to debate, and he's probably going to be in the Hall of Fame in that position." Warner said.

So yes Eli, if you want to have Kurt Warner's vote to be in the Hall of Fame, you have to have five more seasons like this one and then probably…yes, probably, you will have a chance for the Hall one day.

Enjoy that lemonade Mr. Manning, sound like you can make a ton of it from this one interview.